in particular was fo feverely threaten'd by the prophet Ezekiel. (Chap. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. XXXII.) for her idolatry, her pride, and her wickedness. And the Egyptians have generally been more wretched, as they have generally been more wicked, than other nations. Ancient authors defcribe them every where as fuperftitious and luxurious, as an (8) unwarlike and unferviceable people, as (9) a faithless and fallacious nation, always meaning one thing and pretending another, as (1) lovers of wine and ftrong drink, as (2) cruel in their anger, as (3) thieves and tolerating all kinds of theft, as (4) patient of tortures, and tho' put to the rack, yet choofing rather to die than to confefs the truth. Modern authors paint them still in blacker colors. The famous (5) Thevenot is very ftrong and fevere; " The people of "Egypt (generally speaking) are all fwarthy, "exceeding

(8) Strabo. Lib. 17. p. 819. Edit. Paris. p. 1175. Edit. Amftel. 1707. Juvenal Sat. XV. 126. imbelle et inutile Vaigus.

(9) Lucan V. 58. non fida gentis. Hirtius de Bell. Alexand. Cap. 16. fallacem gentem, femperque alia cogitantem, alia fimulantem.

ves as Piñondas. vinofos ac bibaces.

(2) Polyb. Lib. 15. p. 719. Edit. Cafaubon. Aum yap τις ἡ παρα της θυμος ωμόλης y las Two natα THE AIYUTTO apar. Eft enim hoc Ægyptiis hominibus innatum, ut dum fervent ira mirum in modum fint crudeles.

(1) Athenæus ex Dione Lib.. (3) A. Gellius Lib. 11. Cap. 1. p. 34. Edit. Cafaubon. - 18. Ex Ariftone. furta omnia

exceeding wicked, great rogues, cowardly, "lazy, hypocrites, buggerers, robbers, trea"cherous, so very greedy of money, that they "will kill a man for a maidin or three half"pence." Dr. (6) Pococke's character of them is not much more favorable, tho' not fo harth and opprobrious; "The natives of "Egypt are now a flothful people, and delight.

in fitting ftill, hearing tales, and indeed feem "always to have been more fit for the quiet

life, than for any active fcenes-They are "alfo malicious and envious to a great degree, "which keeps them from uniting and fetting

up for themselves; and tho' they are very "ignorant, yet they have a natural cunning " and artifice as well as falfhood, and this "makes them always fufpicious of travelers"The love of money is fo rooted in them, "that nothing is to be done without bribery

"They think the greatest villanies are expiated,› " when once they wash their hands and feet. -Their words pafs for nothing, either in "relations, promifes, or profeffions of friendship, &c." Such men are evidently born not to command, but to serve and obey. They are altogether unworthy of liberty. Slavery is the fittest for them, as they are fitteft for flavery. It is an excellent political aphorifm of the wifeft of kings, and all history will bear witness to the truth of it, that (Prov. XIV. 34.) righteousness exalteth a nation, but fin is a reproach and ruin to any people.

XIII. NEBU

XIII.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR's dream of the great empires.

E have feen how it pleafed God to

WE reveal unto the prophets the future

condition of several of the neighbouring countries; but there are other prophecies which extend to more remote nations, thofe nations especially and their transactions, wherein the church of God was particularly interested and concerned. It pleafed God too to make these revelations, at a time when his people seemed in other respects abandoned and forfaken, and did not fo much deserve, as ftand in need of light and comfort. Ifaiah and Jeremiah prophefied in the declenfion of the kingdoms of Ifrael and Judah. Ezekiel and Daniel prophefied during the time of the Babylonish captivity. And the prophecies of Daniel are fo 'clear and exact, that in former as well as in later times it hath confidently been afferted, that they must have been written after the events, which they are pretended to foretel.

The

The famous Porphyry (who florished at the latter end of the third century after Chrift) was I think the first who denied their genuinnefs and authority. He wrote (1) fifteen books against the Chriftian religion, the twelfth of which was defigned to depreciate the prophecies of Daniel; and therein he affirmed, that they were not compofed by Daniel whofe name they bore, but by fome body who lived in Judea about the time of Antiochus Epiphanes; because all to that time contained true history, but all beyond that were manifeftly falfe. This work of Porphyry together with the answers of Eufebius, Apollinarius, and Methodius, is wholly loft, excepting a few fragments and quotations, which are preserved in Jerome and others of the fathers. But as (2) Jerome rightly obferves, this method of oppofing the prophecies is the strongest teftimony of their truth. For they were fulfilled with fuch exactness, that to infidels the prophet seemed not to have foretold things future, but to have related things past.

The celebrated author of the Scheme of Litteral

(1) Cave Hift. Lit. Vol. 1. p. 156. Hieron. Præf. in Danielem. Vol. 3. p. 1072. Edit. Benedict.

(2) Cujus impugnatio tefti

monium veritatis eft. Tanta enim dictorum fides fuit, ut propheta incredulis hominibus non videatur futura dixiffe, fed narraffe præterita. Hieron. ibid, (3) Sce